Better in Time
by Blinded-Kit
Summary: The sequel to Live like you're dying. It is in the Doctor Who universe because it won the coin toss. Hermione is hurt, she can't stop crying and she is slowly losing herself. Can the Doctor help?


Own Nothing.

Only One. Better in Time By: Leona Lewis. I was actually inspired by Ghost by: Fefe Dobson, but the fic took a different turn when writing it.

* * *

Hermione stood at the railing along the bridge outside of the Torchwood base, her mind wandering as the cold February air pushed against her. It was the end of February if you want the truth, march almost here, along with spring. It was a flying thought in her mind, it was a new year. You meet new people, and you say goodbye to the old.

Hermione stopped at the thought, a sob choking in her throat. She had lost someone, they all did. But when Hermione looked into her team's mind with her magic, even her father's no one remembered who they had lost. It was like the person was erased from time itself. A ghost in the lives of people moving forward.

She had been out here all day, walking around in the cold air. She was losing herself, hardly could concentrate on her own work. Worrying the others if she was getting ill and not the kind that she could recover from with ease.

She let the tears fall, not bothering to wipe them. She stepped away from the railing and decided to walk around again. Her hands in her coat pockets, her head lowered, not making eye contact with the crowd around her. She walked for hours, tears still falling down her face, her tear ducts overflowing with new tears.

She pushed pass the crowds, whispering apologies as she walked. She didn't have a place to go, just the drive to get somewhere that she needed to be. She stopped abruptly, staring at someone's shoes. His pointed brown shoes. "I'm sorry, excuse me." Hermione whispered, her voice cracking. She took a side step to the right and he followed. She took two steps left and he did the same. One more step to the right, "I'm sorry, if I can just get pass."

"I've been watching you cry the whole time you were walking." He stated and she lifted up her head to stare at his chest.

"I'm sorry, I don't make it a habit, crying in public."

"Oh, it's completely understandable, now let me see what I can do." He took a handkerchief out of his tweed jacket pocket and lift up her head more. He wiped her eyes, leaving them dry, then he placed the cloth on her nose. "Now blow, harder. Let it all out now." He told her and he held it while she emptied her nose. "Good," He tossed the handkerchief in the trash bin nearest to them while she stood there.

He ripped her hands out of her pockets and held them. "Wow, you're freezing. Why are you so cold? We need to warm you up fast."

"What?" Hermione shook from the cold, his outburst confused her. Who is this man?

"Let's fixed this." He stated.

"What?" She asked again.

"Hold still." He ordered and let go of her hands. He grabbed her face and planted a kiss on her lips. His lips were warm, his whole body radiated heat, such warmth she hadn't felt in a long time. She had been so cold inside. She parted her lips, pushing her hands into his jacket, clutching at his warmth.

They part, breathing heavily, puffs of cold air between them. Hermione's face red from the rush of it all. He took her hands, holding them in his own, breathing his air on them. "Who even are you?"

"I'm the Doctor." He smiled at her.

"The Doctor? As in The Doctor? Like in Jenny's dad?"

"Jenny?" He stopped and looked at her in confusion.

"Jenny, she's blonde, blue eyed, tall, thin. And time lord decent."

"Jenny's alive?" He was shocked, eyes wide.

"Yes, we work together for Torchwood. I'm Jack Harknesse's daughter. Hermione Granger."

"Oh I know who you are, you're famous."

"Yea." Hermione looked down again, as he began rubbing her hands to generate warmth.

"Are you still cold?" He asked again, pursing his lips.

Hermione nodded, looking back up at him, thinking he was going to suggest getting tea or hot chocolate. Because there was no way he would pull the thing again. He smiled and leaned forward and kissed her again, one of his hands holding the side of her face. She was wrong, he did it again, and again she felt warm.

He pulled away and chuckled. "Do you want to get something warm to drink. You look like you could use a friend."

Hermione nodded, letting him lead her to a cafe down the street, his hand holding her's. She watched him, he was a weird thing, tall, thin, just like Jenny. He wore dark brown pants, white shirt and tweed jacket. He had a bow-tie, she never thought Jenny's father with a bow-tie, she didn't think she ever considered it. His brown hair flying in the wind behind him, she watching as he moved through the crowds. Everyone else was in warmer clothing, why wasn't he freezing? Jenny was freezing to death in this weather.

He led her to a table in the cafe, he sat her further back, a ways from the door and the cold. He went to the counter and placed their order. She watched as he looked at the window board, obviously confused at all the choices. She watched as a couple, a red headed young woman and shaggy haired man walked up to the Doctor.

He was familiar with them it looked like, she watched as they helped him order the drinks and waited in line behind him. She watched as he paid and walked back over to her, his eyes staring deeply into her's. He sat down in the chair across from her, smiling lovely at her. "Friends of yours?" She asked, nodding to the couple.

He looked behind him and turned back nodding. "Yea that's Amy and Rory. They travel with me. We stopped here because they've never been to Cardiff and their newlyweds, so I treated them to it."

Hermione nodded, a waitress bringing their drinks. Two hot chocolates with extra marshmallows. "Thank you, you really didn't have to."

"Yes, yes I did. It hurts to see someone as innocent as you crying. Your soul was just screaming out for someone to listen, to hold you."

"So you kissed me?" Hermione asked, placing her hand on the side of her cup, before taking it away. To hot.

"I thought it was more of a snog." He smirked, sipping from his drink.

Hermione chuckled, her eyes puffy and red. "I snogged my best friend's Dad." It struck a chord, something about it was familiar. She almost started crying again.

"In my defense, I didn't know my daughter was even alive." He shrugged, "I have to see her before I leave."

Hermione nodded, staring into her coco, watching the marshmallows melt. "Hypothetically speaking."

"Mmm, okay." He looked at her over his cup. "Are you opening up to me?"

"Hypothetically speaking." Hermione stopped. "Wait, first have you ever lost some one Doctor?"

"I'm a Time Lord Hermione, I'm over 907 years old. The last of my kind, well except for my daughter. But I've lost a great deal of people in my time."

"Okay, so let's say I've lost someone. Someone deeply important to me."

"Are we still in Hypothetical terms?" He asked.

"Yes, but I don't know who it is. It's like they have been erased from my memory, from time itself. I can't find anything about who they were anywhere. As that happened to you Doctor. Have you ever heard of someone disappearing from time itself."

"What are you saying Hermione? Are you sure that you are missing someone?" He placed his cup down and leaned forward.

"Doctor, I can't stop crying, my heart feels empty, some one the obviously cared deeply about, or even loved has been torn out of my life. And everyone is worried that I can't get better."

"Everyone?"

"Torchwood. Jenny, Jack- my dad, Martha, Mickey, George and Gwen. They're all worried, I used to be so strong Doctor. But I just can't find the strength anymore."

"I will tell you that I did lose someone. He was taken by a crack in time itself. We got him back, but I had sacrifice myself, and hoped to be remembered by someone here to bring me back. I don't know what to do about your friend though."

"A crack in time? I remember a crack in the wall during the Christmas holidays. It almost took me, but I got away. Everything after that is fuzzy."

He stared at her for a long time, reaching over and grabbing her hand, "Hermione finish your hot chocolate for me, and I'll spend the day with you, just to cheer you up."

"You think spending a day with you is going to cheer me up? Cocky aren't you?" Hermione none the less drank her hot chocolate.

* * *

It was hours later and she was home, the Doctor with her. Jenny had moved out in January, deciding on since George had magically got a job at Torchwood as a medical apprentice to Martha, she moved in with him. Hermione was all alone in her big apartment, she was hardly home anymore just for that fact alone. But here she was, with the Doctor.

To be accurate, she was with the Doctor, in her bedroom, in her bed. His plan for cheering her up had a lot going for her. He first took her shopping for books, then grocery shopping. By the time they were down, they went back to her place where he cooked her dinner. He sat her on top of the counter he wasn't using and gave he a glass of white wine. They talked for hours, over dinner, over desert, and over cleaning up.

A whole bottle of wine later, they were in her bed. Now it was the next morning, the alarm on the side of her bed read 7A.M. She just laid there in his warmth, and for the first time in weeks she felt like something was right. She looked at him laying next to her, maybe she just needed someone else in the bed next to her to help her sleep through the night.

She heard the front door open, and the light underneath her bedroom door, signaling that Jenny was there for breakfast like they did every Tuesday, Thursday and the weekends. Hermione sighed, listening to the Doctor's breathing and the light noise in the kitchen.

Hermione slipped out of bed, grabbing a pair of sweats and the Doctor's white button up shirt. She buttoned it up quickly and walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind her. She walked down the hall to see Jenny in the Kitchen holding the empty bottle of wine and two glasses. "Please tell me that you got shagged last night and didn't just drink two glasses in self pity."

"I did." Hermione groaned, grabbing Tylenol and a glass of water. She sat down at the bar stool, leaning against the island in the middle of the kitchen.

"The first one or the second. Please be the first Hermione. I'm begging you." Jenny pleaded, placing the glasses in the sink and the bottle in the bin.

"Hermione? Where's my shirt?" Hermione blushed at his voice coming from her bedroom. Jenny stood up straight, staring at Hermione's chest, which the shirt was covering. She raised her eyebrows in Appreciation.

"You shag some bloke last night didn't you?" Jenny smiled like it was the greatest news in the world.

"Jenny, it just wasn't anyone." Hermione began, hearing her door open. "It's not what you think. It wasn't intentional."

"Most shagging never is." Jenny replied, watching as the man came down the hall. Her eyes raked his body, his brown pants hanging off his hips, his braces lowered and he was shirtless, running his fingers through his hair. "Oh, Hello."

The man looked up, blushing when he saw her. He looked at Hermione then back to Jenny. "Hello Jenny."

Jenny looked confused, turning to Hermione. "You told him about me Hermione. That's weird."

Hermione sighed, standing up, and walked over to the man. "Jenny. I didn't just shag just any bloke. Jenny this is the Doctor, your father."

Jenny's eyes widened, staring at the man, shocked. "You shagged my dad?" She covered her mouth with her hand and her jaw fell open. "You're kidding me?"

"No, I regenerated, and I just happened to run into Hermione yesterday and we landed here."

"Not immediately though." Hermione defended.

"Of course." Jenny stated, staring. "So Dad, do you mind putting a shirt on. This is a awkward time for going without one."

"Sure, Hermione, can I have my shirt back?" He smiled down at Hermione.

Hermione blushed and nodded, leading him back to her room where they changed. Hermione came out with a spaghetti strap shirt that was red and the Doctor in his full suit. "Well, um I should really get going. It was nice seeing you Jenny. I will visit you more now that I know that you're alive. Say hello to the others for me."

He walked to the door, Hermione following behind. He stepped out in the hall, Hermione leaning against the frame. "Hermione, I plan on being in town for another day. If you decide that you want to travel, you know, with me."

"Wont it get cramped in your ship?" She asked.

"The TARDIS is bigger on the inside. I assume you're familiar with the concept?"

Hermione laughed lightly and nodded. "We'll see Doctor. It might be better to get away, to travel. I'll think about it."

"Good." He stepped forward and kissed her one last time before they parted for maybe the last time. "If you don't come Hermione, I'll miss you."

"You've only known me for a day." She whispered, looking up at him.

"Romeo and Juliet only knew each other for a weekend and they got married." He countered.

"But they killed themselves in the end."

"That's why we're not them." He kissed her again and walked away. Hermione closed the door, blushing. She walked back to the kitchen were Jenny waited with anticipation.

Hermione sat back down in the chair, staring at the surface. "I think it would be good for you Hermione, to go with him." Jenny stated, as she started to get breakfast ready.

"What?" Hermione looked up, watching her best friend.

"Listen Hermione, you're obviously hurt by something and wounds tend to heal with time. And who better to help you then my dad, he is a Time Lord after all." Jenny sat down, holding the egg that she was about to crack. "It will get better in Time, but in the meanwhile, go, it isn't like Torchwood can't handle the rift without you. Look at how well they did it before us."

"Jenny?" Hermione chuckled.

"What?"

"Torchwood was destroyed by a bomb. If it wasn't for me, it would have never been rebuilt." Hermione smiled, leaning on her hand, her elbow propped up on the table.

Jenny brushed it off. "Details. They're not important, but what is, is your life. Live it Hermione. Don't let us, or your ghost hold you back. Go for it."

"Okay. I will." Hermione stood up, determined.

"Hold it there Girl," Jenny pointed the egg at her, standing up as well. "You can go hopping through time with your new boyfriend after breakfast. I'm going to cook you the best breakfast you ever had. George showed me last night."

Hermione laughed, sitting back down. "Jenny, you'll tell everyone right, you'll tell my dad for me? I'm following in his footsteps again." Hermione shook her head, smiling. "Traveling with the Doctor, just like he did."

Jenny smiled, turning on the stove, cracking the egg. "Of course I'll tell everyone. It's not like it's going to be a big secret or anything. Besides I was totally right."

Hermione scrunched her eyebrows. "About what?"

"I always thought of you like a mother figure. So it didn't shock me that you're with my Dad. I was so dead on that you would to." She turned over her shoulder and winked at Hermione. "Momma Granger." Both women laughed all through breakfast.

* * *

Later that day, Hermione found the TARDIS, and the Doctor, Amy and Rory waiting for her inside. Torchwood knew that she would be happy, leaving her ghost behind and finding a new life with someone who she could be with for as long as she like.

The Doctor was excited when he found out the Hermione was basically immortal because, like her father, she couldn't die. So she was the one companion that never left him. Hermione did get Better in Time.


End file.
